IAF airlifts medical equipment to Nagaland, Manipur

The C130 J Super Hercules, the tactical airlift aircraft of IAF on Monday airlifted medical equipment in Nagaland and Manipur, in order to push the state governments' preparation to stop spreading of Coronavirus.

An official statement issued by Nagaland government said that the aircraft belonging to 77 squadrons of IAF's Hindon airbase airlifted medical equipment such as ventilators, personal protective equipment, masks, gloves, and sanitisers, weighing about eight tonas at Dimapur airport in order to meet the emergency requirement of the state health department and Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority.

The aircraft later landed at Imphal airport in neighbouring Manipur and provided similar medical equipment weighing about five tons, said the statement.

A 23-year-old girl, who studied in the US was tested positive after she returned to Imphal last week while a 50-year-old pastor was found COVID-19 positive in Mizoram the next day. No COVID-19 positive case has so far been reported in five other states in the Northeast--Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.

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The C130 J super Hercules of 77 squadrons (special Air operations) based in Hindon Airbase, is used as a tactical airlift aircraft and was inducted in 2011. It has capabilities for quick deployment of special forces and airdrop in semi and unprepared runways and can operate at pitch dark in all weather conditions, it said.

The airlift support operation was possible because of the close coordination by state government officials, Dimapur based project office (IAF), HQ EAC Shillong, Air Hq (VB), MoD and DRC, Nagaland House, New Delhi. The IAF has always been proactive contributing immensely towards state disaster management relief, support missions and aid of civil administration for Nagaland state in the past also. The Air support missions have saved many public lives in remote areas of the state and has contributed immensely to the people," said the statement.